Gadget: V8160 Digital Phone
May 22 2000
Recently I had a telling dream: Motorola's cybervixen/virtual personal assistant Mya was talking dirty to me through an amazingly tiny wireless phone. In hindsight, the disturbing thing was that I was more excited by the phone than by Mya's description of her pixilated panties. Before the dream could play out , I was awakened by a FedEx delivery man. Fortunately, he handed me a box containing the very wireless phone I had just fantasized about.
Motorola's V8160 and V8162 digital wireless phones are most likely the last series of handsets you'll ever need to buy. It's been more than a year since the company introduced the first member of the V series, the diminutive V3620. But we were left hanging - the V3620 was analog only. Finally, the newest V-series phones, available in four colors, have insides to match their unparalleled form factor.
The V8160 and the V8162 PCS) weigh as little as 3 ounces and literally fits in the palm of your hand. Motorola rates the battery life at 150 minutes of talk time and 125 hours of standby time, but as usual, your mileage may vary.
The two models are also outfitted with the latest wireless Web software found in nearly all of today's high-end PCS phones. Viewing data, however, from Phone.com 's included microbrowser on a screen the size of two postage stamps is a recipe for eyestrain.
Also available for the V series is the useful StarFish TrueSync software package for syncing names and numbers with most PC personal information managers, including Outlook 97/98 and ACT Lotus Organizer.
Last night, I dreamed about me, Mya and the V8160 again. But this time call-waiting beeped. It was Motorola's persistent publicity person demanding I return the loaner phone at once - what a nightmare.
THE DETAILS:
Score : Utility: 4; Design: 5
Est. Lifespan: One year
Price: $399 to $599, depending on your service plan
System Requirements: A compatible wireless service provider